Can't tell the Preachers from the Choir

The tech players on the west coast have conferences, summits, and other events  (here, here, and many others) where everyone in attendance knows about wikis and other web 2.0 tools, is excited about it, and can't wait to talk to and about other people who are excited by it.

Where? The West coast, of course.

Here's a thought - why not have a conference with these luminaries in a place that has possibly heard about web 2.0 but still doesn't have a clue? Places like Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Houston, Chicago or (God help me) Cincinnati?

Maybe you'd start generating some buzz amongst some business types that could really use the stuff for productive, profitable purposes.

Comments

[Martin Cleaver]

Yes, but, be careful.

They'd have to be a reason for the converted to travel all that way.

[kris]

Martin - Oh, I know. I'm just looking for a few of the converted to start preaching to an audience that needs it.

[Michele Martin]

I'll second that emotion, Kris. I live in Philadelphia and I'm still dealing wiht the blank looks. There's a choir here, ready to be converted, I think.

[Mark]

Well, I know this isn't as fancy as you all would like :-) and it is perhaps more northern than you all would like :-) Buuuttttt, I am sure it will be fabulous. Montreal, May 18th - 20th 2007

http://www.rocococamp.info/

[Sam Rose]

I live in Michigan, an here's how it goes:

Me: "Do you know what wikis are?"

Them: "Uhhhh I don't know..."

Me: "Do you know what Wikipedia is?"

Them: "Oh, Yeah! I know what that is!"

Me: "Do you understand that Wikipedia is really a type of wiki site?"

Them: "No, I didn't know that. What is a wiki again?"

Me: "So, how do you think all of that information got onto Wikipedia?"

Them: "I never really knew how it got there to be honest. I thought maybe it was a company or something?"

Me:"So, how did you find out about Wikipedia?"

Them: "Oh, my friend told me that I could find information there for papers I was writing for school."

Me: "So, you didn't realize that YOU can edit the pages on wikipedia"

Them: "No! Wow, that is awesome!"

...etc.

[Genevieve Taylor]

Hi y'all - I am new to this game (I hadn't made the connection until Sam wrote that I COULD comment on wikipedia...) but, I am starting with WordPress. And now that I am on, I am blown away by what's possible (and, like the newly converted, probably overzealous).

But, think about the Tipping Point - and how the leading edge takes it on, and then eventually it gets to the mavens, and then it goes from there. I think that model can definitely be applied to Web 2.0s evolution.

For me, I am interested in Sustainable business - and guess what - it is following the same model. We even have Wal-Mart beating the drum these days!